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Since no man can serve two masters, it works like this: You choose ONE master to serve and then you render to THAT master exclusively. Which master are you serving?

The context of the scriptures is talking about putting idols or people before God, as in the example it gives about serving God and mammon you can only chose one master.

You can still serve others as long as God comes first.
 
You can still serve others as long as God comes first.
True servants of Christ honor Him by obeying him (Luke 6:46, John 14:15), not by substituting man-made requirements in place of his.

No man can serve two masters. IOW, one's loyalties must be undivided.
 
True servants of Christ honor Him by obeying him (Luke 6:46, John 14:15), not by substituting man-made requirements in place of his. No man can serve two masters. IOW, one's loyalties must be undivided.

But no man made requirements conflict or substitute with Christ.

There is nothing in the Law that conflicts with my faith so I don't need to worry. I don't need to make or am forced to make a choice between man made requirements or God.

Just because some rules and regulations are completely stupid don't mean anything, Im not forced to do anything crooked. Noting in the Law forced me to do anything against my faith so there is no problem.
 
Invercargill won poo town of the year award. I disagree becauae I come from a bigger poo town but then again most places are a good competitor for poo town of the year so it's hard to decide.

According to the countries biggest media Invercargill did absolutely nothing notable this year to earn the brown crown. Fair enough i guess. No achievement.
 
Huntly nearly got the trifecta. Come second after winning back to back for the last 2 years. I mean that place is a complete dump so i definitely won't argue that one. I mean it's won 2 golds and a silver the last 3 years.
 
I'm waiting for the town I come from to win. I mean not only is it the meth capital of the country and full of crime and down and out, they just closing down the only refinery the country has that at least fed the local economy. And maybe it's fixed now but the public hospital had a leaky roof and they used buckets to catch the rain, and someone got stuck in the lift and nearly ran out of oxygen, and there was sewerage leaking in the medical wing.

And the roads are crap and dodging potholes and you might get some scenery like a burnt out stolen car on the side of the road or something.

I mean come on man. That's worthy of poo town of the year.
 
I remember talking about the pros and cons on the cigarette taxation, how some gave up because it become too expensive and that's good, but shops were and are still getting robbed like I said.

I mean after some ruthless animals killed a shop owner just the other day, some dude just got his fingers chopped off with a machete and got robbed for smokes, and last night local store where im from got robbed and worker attacked at the gas station for smokes.

When are the authorities going to allow shop owners to arm and defend there lives and there property while these germs and pests in society keep attacking them and killing them and injuring them as easy weak vulnerable targets?.

It's a complete joke.

Dudes fingers just got chopped off with a machete and he only had his feet to try run and his fingers to defend himself while being chased by some gutless goon. That crap wouldn't happen if they knew he had a gun and was allowed to defend himself and the private property.
 
We have a government and system with law and order. And 99% of people in society are just minding there own business no troubles and that's great, that's how you want society, but there is a small minority of animals who think they can violate and assault others, and they need be taught a hard lesson and that lesson needs to taught so it's stops and people think twice before being a germ.
 
Maybe Hamilton should get poo town award. I think it got 10th equal this year.

A individual minding there own business trying to earn a honest dollar until these pests and germs who need be taught a hard lesson turn up.

 
Notice the owner called for the government to give harsher penalties. You really think they care about doing time?.

I tell you authorities should allow store owners to bear arms on conditions they have a licence and background check, otherwise, well, it's just another story.
 
And they only get called thieves. Not in my opinion, they called domestic terrorists. Who cares about the motive, they violating the values of the country and attacking and violating everyday people minding there own business trying to live in peace. That's a terrorist in my opinion, or animal, pest, germ, same thing.
 
Maybe one day there will be a story where feral animals violently enter and attack shop and shop worker takes them all down in self defense protecting there own life and private property.
 
But no man made requirements conflict or substitute with Christ.
But of course there are. Just a few examples at New Zealand: Gambling, prostitution, abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage - all "legal" by Caesar but completely unLawful by God.

Noting in the Law forced me to do anything against my faith so there is no problem.p
But of course people do things in wilful disobedience of God anyway; they simply elect to direct their freewill choice to partake of the sin(s) of their choice.
 
But of course there are. Just a few examples at New Zealand: Gambling, prostitution, abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage - all "legal" by Caesar but completely unLawful by God.


But of course people do things in wilful disobedience of God anyway; they simply elect to direct their freewill choice to partake of the sin(s) of their choice.

What I don't think your understanding is im not forced to participate in and there is nothing in the Law that conflicts with my faith or beliefs.

I'm not forced to have an abortion, I'm not forced to gamble, I'm not forced to sell my body, and so on.
 
I can live my life without religious interference. Nothing in the law tells me I must choose between God and the State. Like I was saying, there is nothing that I must participate in that I find immoral.

I pay taxes in good faith that they will be used correctly, what is done with jy taxes is not on my conscience.
 
Nothing in the law tells me I must choose between God and the State.
Of course there is; here's merely one: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

If you choose to respond, please do so with the Truth i.e. with Scripture.
 
I am not really sure why being a Christian has anything to do with paying taxes. Jesus did tell us to give to Caesar what is Caesar's so I don't really see a need to over-think this too much.

As to the rate of tax, irrepective of our faith or lack of, I think it is a given that none of us want to pay more tax but would always want to pay less. (I have a finance background and have seen many wealthy customers obsess over this very point)

Despite this we all have an expectation of government to provide services & policy to support/drive the economy/community for the greater good: infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, defence etc. Whether some of us like it or not, government in doing this also redistributes wealth, providing more opportunity to the poorer in the community.

Here in Australia we have the issue that our population aging, we have lower birthrates and therefore have a shrinking pool of taxpayers providing government income. We therefore require immigration to grow the economy, very dificult these past two years with hard border closures.

What we cannot ignore is that here in Australia and also globally there is a growing gulf between the righ and the poor and a shrinking "middle". Issues such as unemployment, homlessness, non-participation are often way more complex than "plenty of jobs around, just go and get one" type of approach.
 
I am not really sure why being a Christian has anything to do with paying taxes.
Why? ...because Jesus make a point to stress that the children of God are free from payment of taxes (Mat. 17:26).

Jesus did tell us to give to Caesar what is Caesar's so I don't really see a need to over-think this too much.
This worldly conditioned "kitchen sink" approach is a major reason why we're all in the present hurt locker.

Stop for a moment and pray for discernment concerning what you are about to read here, whether it be wrought of God.

"Jesus paid taxes so you should too" is a popular myth taught throughout evangelical Christianity. Religion has always been the tool of choice of tyrants to control the sheeple.

In fact, Jesus himself was accused of forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar at his trial (Luke 23:2). Notice these were not false witnesses who accused Jesus of not paying taxes, because every time a false witness accused Jesus, the scripture tells us it was a false witness (Mark 14:57-59). Where did Jesus forbid to pay taxes to Caesar?

In Mark 12:13-17, Jesus was asked if it was lawful to give taxes to Caesar or not. A silver coin, with Caesar's inscription on it, was shown to Christ. In this example, the Lord's answer requires everyone to make the determination as to what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God;

Mark 12:17, "...Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's..."

Who did this silver coin belong to? Since the Scripture says, "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts" (Haggai 2:8), that means that the silver coin shown to Jesus belonged to God. However, those who live, move, and have their being in the image of Caesar, as the disciples of the Pharisees did, will believe this coin belongs to Caesar instead. We are not to be deluded by the image of Caesar, but built-up in the image of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:7; 15:49, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Colossians 3:10).

Others cry, “What about Matthew 17:24-27?”:

And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

Let's break this passage down.

Verse 24: The tax collector asked Simon Peter if Jesus paid taxes.
Verse 25: Peter said, "yes". But "Jesus prevented" Peter from paying the tax. Why did Jesus prevent Peter from paying taxes?
Verse 26: Jesus said "Then are the children free" from paying taxes. This is why, because we are now free. But we must not use our liberty as a cloak of maliciousness.
Verse 27: However, to avoid "offending" this tax collector (since, as was the habit of Peter, he opened his mouth too soon without really thinking and obligated Jesus by his statement that Jesus did pay taxes), Jesus told Peter to cast a hook into the sea, and catch a fish, and take out money from its mouth and pay it.

Even though Jesus provided a coin to Simon for this tax, it was to avoid "offending" the collector, and because Peter rashly agreed to pay it, not because we are bound to pay taxes by Law. Jesus made the point to stress that the children are free from taxes. But notice, Simon Peter and Jesus did not give him any of their own money, but that which came from the fish! It is interesting to note that Peter was a commercial fisherman (a fisher of fish) before being called to be an apostle of Christ (a fisher of men), and when Peter opened his mouth before thinking (as he often did), Christ basically chastised him by having Peter return to his old life to pay his debt! He had to be a fisher of fish to catch that fish with the coin in its mouth. Thus, the lesson for us is: When you join yourself to the world, and make obligations to the world, you must become part of the world again to meet those obligations.

Additionally, Jesus could not have fulfilled prophecy if he was to go to prison, which might have happened if he didn't provide that coin after Peter "volunteered" for him. It was not his time to go to prison yet. Likewise, Jesus could have called twelve legions of angels to his rescue, but because the scriptures would not have been fulfilled if he did, he refrained from doing that act (Matthew 26:53-54). Jesus taught that we are free from paying taxes if we are children of the king (Matthew 17:24-26), meaning the children of King Jesus (Acts 17:7, 1 Timothy 1:17).

Now, for clarification, if a government is acting strictly as a minister of God, then it is lawful to pay taxes to that government (Romans 13:6), because that "silver coin" which belongs to God also belongs to God's ministers, as they are acting in his name and doing his will. However, if a government is not a minister of God, then there is no duty to give taxes to it.

So now we know that Jesus did not ‘pay taxes.’ Rather, Jesus cleverly provided a coin to Simon Peter with which to satisfy Simon’s foolishly incurred obligation and thus teach him (and us) a lesson.

BTW, a license is just another form of taxation. By requiring a license, the State is claiming complete control and ownership over a disciple’s life. The term "license" is from the word "licentious", which means "morally unrestrained, disregarding rules, lascivious". These same words describe human governments today. In demanding licensure from true bondmen of Christ, the State is asking that we render to it the submission and tribute that scripture requires us to give to God alone.

To partake of this kind of government and pay the taxes due therefrom is to support a government bent on destroying God's dominion.
 
A licence is just a right taken from the people and then sold back to them as a privilege and it can be taken from them at any time.

For example I don't need a licence to drive a boat I can just jump in a boat and motor around the harbour, but they could take that freedom from the people and turn it into a privilege at any time and .ake peoppe have a licence. In the name of safety of course. Every freedom and right taken will always be in the name of safety. As i have said for years and years. That's how power trippers and control freaks do it.
 
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